Advocates Fight Immigration Law

About a dozen advocates gathered in front of the federal immigration office in Atlanta Thursday.

They signed a letter to Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano asking her to eliminate the 287g program.

That’s the law allowing local police to enforce federal immigration laws. Teodoro Maus is with the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights.

He says the federal government argued successfully in Arizona that only federal agents should deal with immigration issues. Now, he says, it’s time to eliminate 287g.

"We are asking ICE to be normal and to be fair and to be logical," he says. "They are not being fair. They’re being lazy and giving it to the sheriff’s offices that are very happy to abuse our people."

Currently 4 counties in Georgia have signed on to the 287g program. Most are in Metro Atlanta.

In rural Georgia, Maus says, sheriff’s are reluctant to sign up because Georgia agriculture depends heavily on immigrant labor.